Two men jailed following fatal assault in Lewisham

A man has been jailed after being identified and arrested by Met officers just minutes after the fatal assault of Charlie Prodromou in Lewisham earlier this year.

Paul Tallant, 43 (01.10.82) of Churchbury Road, Eltham, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday, 25 July.

A second man - Danny Donovan, 40 (13.09.1985) of Marshalsea Road, Southwark – had a knife in his hand during the incident and pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a knife.

At Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday, 11 December Tallant was sentenced to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment.

Donovan was jailed for two years and two months.

Charlie was assaulted by Tallant following a disturbance at The Watch House pub, Lewisham on Saturday, 1 March.

Police were called at 20:39hrs that evening to reports of a serious assault. Charlie and Tallant had been involved in a dispute with staff inside the premises. Shortly afterwards, outside the pub, Tallant punched Charlie twice in the head, causing Charlie to fall to the ground.

Officers responded with paramedics and found 63-year-old Charlie Prodromou with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to hospital where he later died.

Detective Chief Inspector Craig Magee, of the Met’s Specialist Crime unit, said: “Our thoughts remain with Charlie Prodromou’s loving family and friends, who have shown so much strength over the last few months.

“Charlie’s death was a senseless loss of life and he is missed by many. He was a real family man, and leaves behind three children and five grandchildren.

“We hope today’s sentencing of both defendants provides a sense of justice and relief to Charlie’s loved ones.

“This incident was a shocking event that happened in the heart of Lewisham. I’d like to reassure the local community that we continue to do everything possible to prevent further violence on our streets.”

After assaulting Charlie, Tallant was arrested near Lewisham High Street at 20:46hrs – just a few minutes after police has been alerted to the incident. Local officers noticed he matched the description of the suspect. He was charged with murder on Sunday, 2 March.

Donovan was charged on Thursday, 20 March with affray and possession of a knife.